by Janeal Falor
Chadwick walks over, bringing me a drink. “Care to talk about it?”
“Talk about what?”
“Whatever it is that's bothering you. What's making you act so un-Waverly like.”
“What good will talking about it do? Those people will still be trapped in power plants across the country. The Grand Chancellor will still be in power. Cynthia and Serena will still be gone. I just don't see how talking helps.”
“Coming from the girl who used to love to do nothing but talk.” When I don't respond, he sighs. “I just want you to be happy, and I don't know how to help you get there.”
“I don't know how to get there either. It's like some unobtainable thing.”
“Do you ever miss the days before we joined Sanos? Back when we were in Chardonia, just me you, Zade and Tawny?”
It's a hard question to answer. “Of course I miss it. The peace and freedom. But not so much I wish to go back. I wouldn't change helping these people or knowing Serena and her family.” Or Jack. Why did that thought just pop into my head? Guilt pings inside me knowing I thought that when Chadwick was sitting right here. But why should it? It's not as if Chadwick and I have an agreement. And there definitely isn't anything going on between me and Jack. Or is there?
“You look very concerned,” Chadwick says. “What are you thinking about?”
“Just the weather.”
“In other words, you're not going to tell me.”
“Nope.”
He chuckles. “Some things never change.”
“But most things do.”
That sobers him. “Tell me. Did you not send me to gather the warlocks because I'm Envadi or because of something else? Something that's not going on between us?”
The question stabs at my emotions. “It would have been hard because you’re an Envadi.”
He steps closer. “But?”
I step back. “I'm sorry, Chadwick. That's all.”
“Oh. I see,” he says. “It's because of Jack, isn't it?”
Heat immediately creeps up my face. “No. At least not entirely.”
“And what is that supposed to mean?”
“It means that while yes, I care for Jack—” Just thinking about him sends my heart pounding harder. “It wouldn't have worked between us anyway.”
“Waverly, I was wo—” Tawny comes to a halt several feet from us. “I'm sorry. Am I interrupting?”
Chadwick looks at me, his face tight with pain. “No. Apparently there's nothing to interrupt.”
He leaves, steps heavy as he goes. Once his footsteps have faded, Tawny says, “I did bother you two, didn't I?”
I shrug and wish there was a way to disappear at this moment. “I'm grateful you came when you did.”
“And why is that?”
“It was getting very uncomfortable. And now he knows how I feel.”
“Don't feel too bad, Waverly. Even back in Envadi, when everyone was pushing you two to get together, it felt like the pull between you two was coming only from his side.”
“Really? I always felt so confused about it.”
“And being confused is exactly what the problem is.” She gets a sly grin. “You don't seem confused about Jack.”
For the second time today, my face heats. “No, I'm not confused by him. More like confused by the situation we've been put in.”
She sighs. “It's not easy. Hopefully with all the help Serena, Cynthia, and Theodore are rounding up, it won't be much longer before we're out of this situation.”
“And what if it is? What if this whole plan falls apart?”
“We'll deal with that if it comes.”
I give her a hug. “Thank you for all of this. I don't know what I would have done if you didn't come with me.”
“You would have done a lot more training by yourself and not known nearly as many spells.”
“That's all too true,” I say. “It's what I get for slacking off in class.”
“You weren't the only one. I just had tutors that wouldn't leave me alone until I got something down.”
“Spoiled.”
“Hey, now. That's a low blow.”
“But a true one.”
She laughs, and I join in, feeling good to get everything out.
“Do you think they'll be able to find enough people to help?” she asks.
“They'll have to.”
Because if they don't, our lives will be forfeited.
Chapter Forty-Six
Serena, Cynthia, and Theodore's return isn't just a joyous thing, it's a celebration. The people they've been sending home, plus the people they brought with them, will go a long, long ways to helping defeat the Grand Chancellor. There are more people than I expected. Our caves are so filled with people. It’s getting hard to find places to put them all.
Best yet is just knowing this many people want the Grand Chancellor out of power. When I first came to Chardonia, I never thought it would be possible. These people are a surprising joy.
We don't waste any time meeting together with the core leaders. Jack is sitting next to me as I look everyone over. Something about his presence sticks out in my mind more than I expect. But we need to get this meeting underway.
I ask, “Where should we hit first? The power plant again? Or Chancellor Stephen's house?”
Serena and Cynthia glance at each other, a spark in their eyes. But Bethany is the one who surprises me. “Chancellor Stephen's. He needs to be taken down several notches. Plus, it will be a more visible attack to the people of Chardonia than a power plant, which only affects the upper class.”
Inside, I'm cheering for her strength, even though I'm anxious to save those people.
“Isn't Chancellor Stephen your father?” Tawny asks.
“He is,” Bethany says. “But the only thing he ever gave us of any use was with my mother's help, and that is for us to be alive. Everything else he's done, no parent should ever do to a child.”
I can't help it. I put my arm around Bethany. “Attacking his house is a definite yes.”
***
Stephen's house looms over us. It's dark and unprotected, at least as far as spells I can see go.
“Nathaniel did say that he wouldn't be home tonight, right?” I ask.
“Yes,” Bethany replies.
“But what if he's just sleeping?” Serena asks.
“Then we'll face him head on,” Cynthia says.
“And we'll do it if we have to,” Bethany says.
Yet, they all just stand there.
“Who wants to go first?” I ask.
No one responds.
“Maybe I can start, then, by getting all the servants out of the house.”
“That'd be a good idea,” Serena says.
“Yeah, I can't help with that,” Cynthia adds.
Soon, all three of them are rounding up servants. I'm surprised at how the servants react. Instead of fleeing, the servants are happy to see them. Not just happy, thrilled.
“We've missed you so much,” one of the servants says. “We've been so worried about you.”
When the house is all clear of people, there's more standing around just staring at the house, only this time with the servants.
“Should I start?” I ask, wondering what it will take to get them going.
“No, no,” Cynthia says. “We should do it.”
Still, they stare. The first person to finally move surprises me. Bethany. She holds up her hand and, with a burst of red light, crashes through a window pane. Serena follows by breaking down the door, and then Cynthia knocks out the rest of the windows. Soon, all three of them are working on the house until it's up in flames. Even after it's on fire, they shoot more and more blasting spells at it. They delight in burning down the house.
After this success, we take down two more power plants. We rescue several dozens of people, and stop the production of electricity by not just taking the power source but destroying the building. We lose a few members who become prisoners acco
rding to Nathaniel, but not nearly as many as we gain.
The Grand Chancellor may be powerful and have allies, but we have purpose. We are strong and more numerous than he expects. We will take back what belongs to the people.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Katherine's face is pulled down in a somber expression. Too somber for a girl who's supposed to be in love and just found a brother who she's making amends with. I sit on the log next to her, gazing out into the forest.
“I'm sorry the people still aren't treating you better,” I say.
She sighs, heavier than the clouds above us. “Posh. I mean I wish they would, but that's not the problem.”
“Is it Jack?”
A smile tickles her lips. “No. I'm glad to have found him and glad he found you. He's become a much better person than the one I knew growing up.”
“Then what is it?”
“Charles.”
“Are you two having problems? You always look so in love when you're together.”
“We are. That's the problem.” She sighs again, even heavier than the last. “I so badly want to marry him. I'm tired of things getting in the way.”
“Well, why don't you? A wedding may be just what we need.”
“Everyone is so consumed with this war. It doesn't seem right to have a wedding.”
“Maybe that's exactly why we do need one.”
That silences her. The somber lines of her face recede, her face taking on a glow. We sit a minute in silence when Charles walks out.
“I think I'll leave you two alone,” I say.
As I leave, I can't help but sneak a glance back. Katherine’s face is glowing up at Charles. I think everything is going to be all right.
***
“I think we need to go back and rescue those people from the power plant,” I say.
“Do you think it's safe after last time?” Tawny asks.
“Maybe not, but those people need to be saved.” I can't get their faces out of my mind.
“It was hard to leave them behind,” Jack says.
“Exactly. We have to go after them.”
“What if you're caught?” Bethany says. “It feels like things are getting more and more dangerous with each attack you do. I'm not sure we can afford to keep attacking them.”
“We haven't been caught yet,” I say. “I think it's worth the risk.”
“I tend to agree with Bethany,” Serena says. “As much as I want to help those people, I fear we're pushing things too much. The Grand Chancellor is strong.”
She shudders, and it's then that I remember just how much she's seen the Grand Chancellor up close. Not a lot, but more than the rest of us. I've only seen him in the distance at tournaments. I've never actually met the man. But she has. Not just that, but she's told stories of him sacrificing tarnished right in front of her.
Her grief when she told me becomes fresh in my mind. But then, so is the image of those suffering at the power plant, something she has yet to see for herself. “If you had seen the way those people suffer at the power plants, I think you would all agree with me that they need to be saved.”
Serena's lips tighten while Bethany's eyes go wide. I'm grateful the babies are with Pernilla, even if they are too young to understand what we're talking about. Just having them about with this conversation would make me queasy. Or queasier rather. I'm already feeling sick at the thought of what the Grand Chancellor's done.
“Is it really that bad?” Serena asks, voice small.
“It's one of the worst things I've ever seen in my life,” I say.
“The only thing worse,” Cynthia adds, “was the sacrifice at the tournament.”
Bethany says, “Maybe we should try. I'm just nervous for everyone's safety.”
“It's something I've considered as well.” More than I want to. There are too many people here that rely on us. “But I think it's worth the risk.”
“It's worth a try,” Theodore says.
“Agreed,” Jack says. “We're stronger now, and those people need us.”
“I think we should,” Serena says. “As long as precautions are taken.”
“Can we leave tomorrow?” I say.
“The sooner, the better,” Cynthia says. “And this time, we'll all be prepared.”
Chapter Forty-Eight
Dusk is just brushing the sky when we look on the building. It looks so innocent from the outside. Nothing to hint at the atrocities going on in the inside. This time, there won't be any failure. I won't allow it.
“Let's move,” I say.
Cynthia goes first. As much as I'd like to lead, it only makes sense to have the strongest of us take the front. Jack and I follow close behind with an even larger group behind us. There are about fifty of us, more than we've ever taken on a raid, but stealth is no longer an option. We will win this.
“There's someone on the side of the building,” Theodore says from behind me.
“Cynthia?”
“I see him.” A burst of purple light shoots from her to the right side of the building.
Then there's nothing.
“Did you get him?” I ask.
“I think so.”
“We need to be sure.”
“Stay here.” She runs forward toward the side of the building, Lukas darting after her. Despite her strength, he must not want her out of his sight. After our near capture the last time we were here, I don't blame him.
Only a short minute later, they both return. Cynthia says, “He's out.”
I point toward the door, and we move out again. I wish we could just blast off the front of the building like we did the law office so long ago. With this many people, it'd be a breeze. But with the prisoners in there, we can't risk it.
As soon as we get to the door, we don't bother knocking. Lukas opens it, quickly moving out of the way while Cynthia stands at the ready, hands up. She blasts the warlock standing guard with another purple spell. He falls to the ground with a thunk.
Another warlock quickly takes his place. I beat Cynthia to hexing him to the ground. My skills have improved since our last encounter. He falls to the ground on top of the other warlock who is out cold, and my magic is still near full strength.
When no one else comes out, half of us pile in the building, the other half waiting outside to protect our backs. We meet five more warlocks in the hall, of which we take turns knocking out. I'm beginning to think we can do this when we make it to the main room.
The room is filled with not only the prisoners we meet before, but it's packed with warlocks, all of whom are surrounded by a bright yellow shield spell. I motion to those still in the hall to keep coming in. We're going to need all the firepower we can get.
“Give up now,” one of the opposing warlocks says. “You can't win.”
“On the contrary.” I picture a sledgehammer coming down on their shield with more than enough force to break it and burst that image out in a gray spell speckled with green. It smashes against the shield, cracking it.
Others around me immediately follow suit, throwing spells at it to break it. Outwardly, I'm yelling praises and throwing more spells, but the shield is strong. And after we get through, if we get through, there are still the warlocks to contend with. What have we gotten ourselves into?
The opposing warlocks shoot spells at us, coming almost as fast as we're trying to take down their shield to reach them. My fingers go numb as I try to put a shield spell up in front of us. Too late. An orange spell zips through. I turn just in time to see it hit Theodore in the shoulder.
He collapses to the ground. I dive after him, readying to heal him if he is hurt bad enough. As I crouch beside him he says, “I'm fine.”
Ignoring him, I brush aside his hand to see his charred shoulder beneath. The damage is severe, but something I can at least help with. I picture the skin's healing quickened, turning from a char to a pink to undamaged skin. The spell eases out in a soft red, straight for his shoulder. As it pours over his shoulder,
I glance around to see if anyone else has fallen. No one. Even better, I find a way for the battle to lean in our favor.
Their shield doesn't go all the way to the ground.
“Are you well now?” I ask Theodore.
“Yes.”
One less person to worry about. I want to grab Cynthia. She’s the most powerful, but that also means she'd be the most noticeable loss. Instead I motion to Bethany, Jack, and a warlock whose name I don't know but has small ears. They crouch down beside me.
“There's a weak spot,” I say, pointing to the feet of our opponents, hope rising in me for the first time since we entered this room. “Attack there.”
As one, we turn and shoot a rainbow of lights at our attackers. Screams fill the room. Their shield spell dims before going out entirely. Soon, it's an even fight. At least enough that we can work our way into the room.
As I go toward the closest prisoner, Jack yells, “Be careful.”
“You too.”
I slam a hex into the last warlock between the prisoner and me. The warlock falls to the ground, completely asleep. I jump over him, put a shield at my back, and work on the woman's lock. It's not complicated to pick with magic. The complicated part is her condition. As soon as I unlock her, she falls, slumping against me. There's little energy left in her, even less than any of the other prisoners we've encountered.
At this rate, we're going to have to kill or knock out all these warlocks before we can rescue the people. Though the woman is light from her time of torture, the weight is heavy on me. I promised I would come back and save them. I can't go back on that. I can't leave them here a second time.
Suddenly, Jack is at my side, taking the woman from me. “Go get the next one. We’ll pass her outside to where they can better help her.”
Brilliant idea. I release her, running to the next prisoner as soon as I know Jack has her. I dodge two spells on the way, setting up a shield spell as soon as I get there. As soon as I release the next prisoner, Jack is back at my side. We're making a line between us, the prisoners, and the warlocks, passing the prisoners along as I release them. A second line forms in front of us to help protect them as we pass them along.